Conveyer mechanism



Jan. 8, l946. M. MORGAN CbNVEYER MECHANISM Filed Jan. 11', 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 MYLEs MORGAN 2 V lines of travel, they are supported onpower .driven horizontal rollers of suitable construction. Thus alongthe receiving line Hi there is that they have no tendency to crowd thebars The idler rollers 26 may be front portion of ach bar as the rearendthereof leaves the'first' roll stand H. The spaces between thevarious rollers are filled with substan- 'tially' horizontal'plates 28,andupright flanges orside guards 29 are provided adjacent the outer endsof the rollers. This construction provides 'a trough having sidewallswhich converge for a portion of its length and then continueparallel to one another for the remainder of its length,

7 .laterally. The receiving rollers l8 are driven by I t 1 an electricmotor Ml through the medium of suitable shaft and gearing connections.22, the 7 common rollers I!) are driven by ;an electric rho tor M2through the medium of suitable shaft actuates two normally open switchesand 52 in opposite directions. The switch 5| is connected in series witha coil Fl and the switch 52 is connected in series with a coil RI. Thecoil Fl serves'to close two switche FIA and FIB which are connected inthe circuit of the motor Ml to cause operation thereof in a forwarddirection and conveythe bars as indicated by the arrow IA of V Fig. 1.The coilRl serves to close twoswitches RIA and RIB which areconnected'in the circuit of the motor Ml to cause operation thereof in areverse direction. Ordinarily there will be no occasion' for reverseoperation of this motor.

The motor, M2 is controlled by a manually operable'lever 54 'whichactuates two normally open switche 55"and 56 in opposite; directions.The

switch 55 is connected in series with a coil F2,

Means is provided'to shift the bars laterally from the receiving rollers18 to the delivery rollers 20. For this purpose the trough bottom 28 isformed with a series of transverse slots or grooves 3| therein, andalong each of these slots there" extends the-upper run of an endlesschain 32 having dogs 33 thereon arranged to project upwardly through theslot. These dogs are pivotally-connected to-the chains, and each slot 3|is-formed with a deep pocket 35 into which the dogs may drop as theyreach the delivery rollers 20,-as shown in Fig. 5. Thus the dogs maypush I the bars laterally across the bottom of the trough j and thenpass beneath the bars. Each chain is shown provided with three of thedogs 33,

equally-spaced along its length. At the receiving side of the trough thechains 32 are supported on idler sheaves 31, and at the delivery sidethey are supported on sprocket wheels 38 mounted on a common rotatableshaft 39 driven by an electric motor M4. A suitablelimit switch isdriven from the shaft 39.

in some installations it may be desirable to arrange for automaticcontrol of the motor M2 which drives the common series of rollers l6;For thispurpose a bar-detecting device in the forml tofa': flag 42 ismounted at the bottom, of the trough in position to be actuated by eachbar as it is shifted from the receiving line M to the de- 1 livery line15. This fiag is located near the junction of the receiving line and thedelivery line. Asbestshown in Fig. 4, the flag is 'pivotally mounted,and it' is connected by a rod 43 to a limit switch 44 of suitableconstruction. A coiled tensionspring 45 holds the flag yieldably in araised position.

"Referring now toFig. 6,the electrical apparatus is supplied withelectricity fr'om a suitable source 41 through a main switch 48. Themotor MI is:

controlled by a manually operable lever which *cated bythe arrow 15 ofFig. 1.

and the switch 56 is connected in series with a' coilRZ. The coil F2serves to close two switches FZA and FZB which are connected in thecircuit of the motor M2 to cause operation thereof in a forwarddirection. The coil R2 serves to close two switches RZA and R213 whichare connected in the circuit of the motor M2'to cause operation thereofin a reverse direction. The motor M3'is controlled by a manuallyoperable lever 58 which actuatestwo normally open switches 59 and 50in'opposite directions. switch 59 is connected in series with a coil F3,and the switch 60 is connected in series with a coil R3. The coil F3serves to close two switches F3A and F33 which are connected in thecircuit of the motor M3 to causeoperation thereof in a forward directionand convey the bars as indi- The coil R3 serves to'close two switchesR3A and R33 which are connected in the circuit of the motor M3 to causeoperation thereof in a reverse direction. Ordinarily there will be nooccasion for reverse operation of this motor.

When-the motor M2 is to be controlled automatically rather thanmanually, certain addi- "the coil F2 and. with a normally open'switchFIC controlled by the .coil Fl. The switch 63 is connected in serieswith the coil R2 and with a normally open switch F3C controlled by thecoil F3. A manually operable selector switch 65 is also provided, thisswitchbeing movable between an automatic position shown in full linesand a manual position indicated in broken lines. In the automaticposition of the selector switch, the switches FlC and F30 are bothconnected to the source 41, and the switches 55 and 56 are renderedineffective. J Inthe manual position of the selector switch, theswitches 55and 56 are both connected to the source, and the switches MCand F30 are rendered ineffective.

The motor M4 is connected in series with a switch 68 which can be closedby a coil 69', thiscoil being connected in series with the limit switch.This limit switch is shunted by a normally open manuallyoperable switch10, which may be of the push-button type. v

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the abovedisclosure. To prepare the Y-transfer mechanism for the reception of rthe first bar, theoperator will close the main switch 48,; place theselector switch 65- in the -""automa tic position; and place the lever59 in The the first series of rollers .in Tamanner. tonmove the barslongitudinally inthe direction of trough convergence, means to drive thesecond series of rollers in a-manner to move the barslongitudi- 1 nallyin the direction of trough-divergence; and '5 means to transfer'ibarslaterally from the first 1 series of rollers to the second series ofrollers.

5. A Y-transfermechanism for handling elongated vloars comprisingtwoseries of conveyer rollers arranged in two rows which converge at anacute'angle, means to drivethe first series of rollers'in-a directionrtomove the bars longitudinally toward the vertex of the said angle,meansto drive thesecond series'of rollers in a direction to move the barslongitudinally away from the said verl5 tex, a third series of conveyerrollers arranged in a row extending beyond the said vertex and'in 1.positionto receive the front portionof each bar while the rear portionthereof rests upon the rollhers ofthe first series, means to transferthe said-120 rear portion of each bar laterally from the first series ofrollers to the second series of rollers,

and means to drive the third series of rollers first 3 in a direction-toreceive a loar'from the first se- -ries of-rollers and, then in thereverse direction to deliver the bar to the second series of rollers. i6.1A Y-transfer mechanism for handling elongated bars comprising asubstantiallyhorizontal trough having opposed upright side walls whichparallel with one another, to provide a straight portionofthe trough, afirst series of conveyer rollers arranged in a row withinthe' convergin-tion to deliver the bar to the second series of converge at an acuteangle throughout a portion/ 'of the length of the trough and thencontinue portionlof the trough adjacent one of the sidezag walls withtheir axes substantially. at right an-i sgles therewith, a second seriesof conveyer rollersj arranged in a row Within, the converging portionof; the trough adjacentthe other of, saidside walls in a manner to movethe bars longitudinally in the direction of trough convergence, means todrive the second series of rollers in a manner to rollers; 7. v

7 8.,A Y-transfer mechanism forv handling elon- 7 gated bars comprisinga substantiall horizontal trough having opposed upright side walls whichconverge at an acute angle throughout a portion of the length of thetrough and thenicontinue 'parallel with one another to provide astraightportion of the trough, one of the sidewalls continuing in a singlestraight lineand the other side wall being formed in two portion which'meet at an'obtuse angle, a first series of conveyer rollers arranged ina row within the converging portion of the trough adjacentthe said otherrollers of the first series, means to transfer the said rear portion ofeach bar laterall torthe second series of rollers, and means to drivethethird series of rollers first in a direction to receive a bar fromthe first series of rollers and then in the reverse direction to deliverthe bar to the second series of rollers,

9. A Y-transfer mechanism for handlingelongated bars comprising twoseries of conveyer rollers arranged in two rows which converge at anacute angle, means to drive the first series of rollers in a directionto move the bars longitudinally toward the vertex of the said angle,means with, their gaxes substantially at right -angles1I-l40therewithmeans to drive the first series of rollers move the barslongitudinally m the direction 015 -3 trough divergence, a third seriesof conveyer rollers arranged in' a row within the straight portion ofthe trough in position to receive the front portion of eachflbarrwhilethe rear portion thereof I rests upon the rollers of the first series,means to transfer the saidrear portion of each; bar laterally to thesecond series of rollers, and means to drive the third series of rollersfirst in a direction to receive a bar from the first series of rollersand then in' the reverse direction to ode-T liver the bar to the secondseries of rollers.

7.=A Y-transfer mechanism for handlingelongated bars comprising twoseries of conveyer rollversarranged in tworows which converge at anto-drive the second series of rollers in a direction to move the barslongitudinally. away from the said vertex, a third series of conveyerrollers arranged in a row extending beyond the said vertex 7 and inposition to receivetherfront portion of each bar while the rear portionthereof rests upon the rollers of'the first series,. the third series ofrollers being aligned with the second series of rollers, meansto'transfer the said rear portion of each bar laterally to the secondseries of rollers,

a bar-detecting device located in line with, the second andthird seriesof rollers .andnear'the said vertex, the said device beingarranged'torespond to the said lateral transfer of eachv bar, separate manualcontrols for'the driving means of the first andsecond series ofrollers,'reversible driving means for the third series of rollers,

"and, a control for the said reversible driving acuteangle means todrive the first seriesof' vrollers in'a direction to move the loarslongitudinally toward the vertex of'the said angle, means todrive'thesecond series of rollers in a directionvto move the bars longitudinallyaway; from the said vertex, a third series of conveyerrollers' arrangedin a rowextending beyond the said ver tax and inposition toreceive-thefrontportion of each'loar while the rear portion thereofrests upon the rollersof the first series, thethird series 7 position toactuate the deviceand in the same direction as the first series ofrollers when a bar means responsive to the said device and tofthe saidmanual controls so arranged that the third series of rollers willoperate in the samedirection as the second series of rollers when aibaris in is not in a position to actuate the device. r

10. A Y-transfer mechanism for handlingielongated bars comprising twoseries of conveyer rollers arranged in two rows which'con'verge at an ofrollers being aligned with the second series of rollers, means totransfer the said rear portion of each bar laterally to thesecondrseries of rollers; and meansto drive the third series'ofrollers-:first in a direction-to receive abar from the; first series;ofsrollers and then aim-the; lreversedirecr a second electric motor todrive the'second series acute angle, an electric motor to drive thefirst series of rollers in a direction torrnove the' bars longitudinallytowardthe vertex of the saidangle,

, of rollers in a direction to move the bars longitudinally away fromthe saidlvertex, a third series of conveyer rollers arranged'i'narowextending beyond the said vertex andin position to receive the frontportion of each bar while the rear portion thereof rests upon therollers of the first series, the third series of rollers being alignedwith the second series of rollers, a reversible electric motor to drivethe third series of rollers, means to transfer the said rear portion ofeach bar laterally to the second series of rollers, a bar-detectingdevice located in line with the second and third series of rollers andnear the said vertex, the said device being arranged to respond to thesaid lateral transfer of each bar, separate manually operable switchesfor controlling the motors for the first and second series of rollers, areversing switch for the reversible motor, and means to control the saidreversing switch responsive to the said device and to the said manuallyoperable switches so-arranged that the third series of rollers willoperate in the same direction as the second series of rollers when a baris in position to actuate the device and in the same direction as thefirst series of rollers when a bar is not in a position to actuate thedevice.

MYLES MORGAN.

